Page 40 of A Favor Owed

“Safe for you,” she says without hesitation.

“Ange. You know I run into burning buildings for a living, right? Why don’t you let me be the judge of what’s dangerous for me?”

“Would you want me running into a burning building, Brady?”

“No! Of course not.”

“It would be just as dangerous for you to go running into my life.”

I sigh and hold her tighter. I know it’s a risk. I knew it ever since the sight of her lavender hair made my dick sit up and take notice.Come on, man, I chide myself.Do you really want to end up in a shallow grave just to get with this girl?

As if she’s read my mind, Angela speaks up again. “I betrayed someone dangerous. And anyone perceived as helping me is part of the betrayal. I don’t want to drag you into this.”

“What’d you do, Pines, run away from a cult?”

She sighs.

“The WNBA?”

She nudges my thigh with her knee.

“An arranged tribal marriage in a remote corner of Afghanistan?”

This time she lands a punch to my shoulder. “Would you stop being an idiot, please? I’m not kidding. This isn’t a game, Brady.”

“Well, I think it’s cute that you’re trying to protect me,” I say, knowing it’ll piss her off.

“Cute?” she exclaims, pushing away and looking at me with outrage in her eyes. “Are you kidding me?”

I smile, not even slightly fazed by her ire. “Yes, in fact. I’m totally messing with you, princess. Chill out.”

“Chill out,” she repeats with a death glare.

“Yeah. I get it, okay? I wouldn’t joke about it if I didn’t take it seriously.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Sure it does. So don’t worry about it. Your secrets are safe with me, whether or not I know what they are. Okay?”

She looks at me for a moment, anger fading from her fake blue eyes. “Okay.” She inches back toward me, and I wrap my arms around her again.

“You’re…kinda sweet,” she says hesitantly.

“Careful there, Pines,” I warn. “Telling me I’m sweet and going down on me all in one night? I might start to think you’re into me or something.”

“Oh my God, Brady,” she fumes quietly, giving me another knee nudge. I’ll tell you who’s sweet: Angie Pines. Fucking adorable, even if she is fifty shades of shady.

“So, laser hair removal, huh?”

“It took twenty sessions and hurt like a bitch.”

“Ooh.” I flinch. “Youarea hard-ass. Maybe you could run into a burning building.”

She laughs softly.

“You tired?”

“A little.” She yawns. “Yeah.”

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